In Tee Ball, unlike baseball, the ball is hit from a tubular member extending up from home plate. It is played with almost the same rules as baseball and one of the most fundamental parts of the game is hitting the ball. In hitting the ball off the Tee, it is very important to position the batter correctly in the batter's box. One of the most important elements of proper positioning is the distance the batter is from the Tee. Another important element is the positioning of the feet with respect to the ball and to home plate.
Tee Ball players are typically from 6 to 8 years old, both boys and girls on the same teams. Children at this age level are very difficult to teach just how to position their feet and bodies when batting. They can be positioned correctly, but as soon as they moved, they quickly forget how they were before they move their feet. Consequently, there is a need for a foot positioner which will properly position the batter and furthermore remind the batter of such proper foot position, even after they have moved from such proper position.
David U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,342,487, Hermo U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,906, Wilson U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,735, and Stratton U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,772 all have teaching devices for teaching proper foot position for baseball or softball. One of the problems with these prior art devices is that they have parts sticking up or surrounding the legs and feet for players to trip over. Also, these devices are heavy and cumbersome to use.
Consequently, there is a need for batting practice and teaching devices which overcome the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art.